Pattern tickler machine for flat hosiery knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A pattern tackler apparatus for flat hosiery knitting machines having at least one tickler needle supported by a pattern tickler rod, and a device for the positioning of the tickler needle controlled by a programmed control device, control means connected to the tickler needle and means for regulating the control means so that the stitching needle is picked up according to a program and transferred to a neighboring needle and forms a new stitch in the next following row.

United States Patent PATTERN TICKLER MACHINE FOR FLAT HOSIEIIY KNITTING MACHINES 10 Claims, 5 Drlwlng Figs.

US. Cl. 66/96 Int. Cl. D04b 15/04 Fleld of Search 66/96, 154, 86

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 ,004,4 1 5 10/1961 Golaski 66/96 3,256,718 6/1966 Boutilletie et al... 66/96 3,290,899 12/1966 Kaltsasetal 66/96 3,435,638 4/1969 Start et al. 66/89 3,323,330 6/1967 Monk 66/154 3,089,322 5/1963 Bruce et al 66/86 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney-John Lezdey ABSTRACT: A pattern tackler apparatus for flat hosiery knitting machines having at least one tickler needle supported by a pattern tickler rod, and a device for the positioning of the tickler needle controlled by a programmed control device. control means connected to the tickler needle and means for regulating the control means so that the stitching needle is picked up according to a program and transferred to a neighboring needle and forms a new stitch in the next following row.

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PATTERN TICKLER MACHINE FOR FLAT HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to pattern tickler apparatus for flat hosiery knitting machines, which are suitable for making fancy patterns, designs or symbols in the knitware and which for this purpose have a tickler needle attached to a tickler needle holder, by means of which the mesh or stitch of any stitching needle can be picked up and transferred to a neighboring stitching needle so that the stitching needle forms a new mesh or stitch in the next following row.

A pattern tickler machine contains in addition to the tickler needle required for making patterns or designs, a device which is controlled by a program control device for the positioning of the tickler needle and for carrying out the work steps or functions required for overlapping or overtickling. In particular, it contains a tickler rail which carries the tickler needle and which can be moved back and forth in guides. The tickler rail is first of all moved into the desired position prior to every tickling process by a mechanical device according to a program. In the desired position, the tickler needle is above the selected stitching needle. Subsequently it is mechanically swung around in a known manner, so that sequentially the tickler needle is lowered and then uncovered, it is transferred and covered by one or more stitching needle divisions and the tickler needle is then raised once again. These work steps are controlled mechanically, for example, by cam disks, eccentric shafts, or spindle drives. The covering or overtickling can selectively take place toward the left and toward the right around one or several stitching needle divisions.

The program control device must be so designed that the position of the tickler needle can be undertaken once or several times one after the other in the same mesh row. lf the same number of needle divisions is not to be covered in each particular instance, then the covering or transferring process must also be program-controlled.

For program control devices, one usually uses apparatuses which contain pattern, sample or design disks or pattern drums into which pins of varying length are so attached that the position to be approached or the number of needle subdivisions to be transferred are given by the length of each pin. There may be a tickler rod connected to the tickler needle holder under spring tension directly adjoining a pin of the pattern drum or it may adjoin by corresponding intermediate members as disclosed by E. Noble in Die Cottonmaschine, Robert Birkner, Publishers, Apolda, 1931, Pages 26l fi.

The known pattern tickler machines contain a number of disadvantages. For example, prior to each positioning it is necessary when using a pattern drum to first of all lift the tickler rod off the pattern drum whereby this drum cannot be further adjusted or moved. This causes a considerable loss of time during positioning and correspondingly, also during transferring. Since there are patterns or designs such as braid designs, in which several positions must be approached one after the other in one and the same mesh row, that is, the positions in which the transferring is to take place, the time available for positioning of 0.3 second, for example, is very short. Consequently, the space over which a pattern or design can extend is limited by the time span required for positioning and transferring so that even such minor delays as the lifting and lowering of the tickler rod from the pattern drum become quite significant.

Furthermore, it is disadvantageous in the known pattern tickler machines if the positioning and transferring are to take place during the short time span since they are highly vulnerable to failure because the moving of the required masses or weights in such short intervals of time cannot be accomplished with negligible inertia. Finally, the programming of the pattern drum or comparable devices is a laborious and time-consuming job.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention has as an object the task of eliminating the disadvantages mentioned in the prior art devices. It is a further object to create a tickler machine for patterns which can quickly and reliably position and, if necessary, also transfer.

To solve this problem, there is provided a pattern tickler machine for fiat hosiery knitting machines, with a tickler needle and a device responsive to a program and regulating means, for the positioning of the tickler needle and, if necessary also for the transferring in accordance with the pattern design. There is provided according to this invention, a tickler needle that is electrically hydraulically or electrically pneumatically controlled during positioning.

The electrical-hydraulic or electrical-pneumatic control of the tickler needle makes it possible to form a program for the positioning by means of electrical structural elements and electrical signals derived from them and, with the electrical signals to control, according to the program, a hydraulic or pneumatic device with which the tickler needle is mechanically connected or coupled. As a result, the time span required for positioning is essentially limited only by the working speed of the hydraulic or pneumatic device, which is subject to much less wear and tear than cam or spindle control devices, with their many movable parts, so that operational reliability is increased.

According to one preferred version of the invention, the tickler needle is connected with a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder and piston arrangement controllable by means of an electrical hydraulic or electrical pneumatic regulating unit, whereby the regulating unit, such as a servo valve, can be used for the positioning of the tickler needle according to program, with electrical signals which are analogous to the particular tickler needle position desired. It is preferable to feed the regulating unit, in a sequence according to the pattern, design, the kind of electrical signals which are analogous to the difference between a tickler-needle-required position signal and a tickler-needleactual-position signal. ln this way, one can make sure that the tickler needle will actually reach the desired position.

According to a practical improvement of the invention the program is plugged in on a crossbar distributor which, for the purpose of producing the required program signals, is scanned at the rate of the positioning steps. Crossbar distributors are, for example, specially suited for this because they facilitate the easy changing of the program. In place of crossbar distributors there also can be used firmly wired structural elements, such as printed circuits, as well as storage drums, and the like. When a crossbar distributor is used, there is connected in front of the perpendicular slots of the latter, a resistance decade connected with a voltage wave, so that, after the determination of the program, every horizontal line of the crossbar distributor has assigned to it a certain resistance value and thus also a certain voltage signal.

For the line-by-line scanning of the crossbar distributor it is preferable to use a step-by-step switch system in which the switching impulses are supplied by a switch that indicates the end of each complete positioning and transferring cycle.

According to this invention, the overlapping with the device can be controlled. The switch, which controls the step-by-step switch system, in this case gives off two impulses per revolution of the eccentric shaft. The first of these impulses is used for positioning and the second for transferring that is to say, with the first one, there is activated that needle which is supposed to pick up the thread, and with the second one there is activated the needle upon which the thread is to be deposited. The crossbar distributor must then be so programmed that, alternatingly, in each case, one line will indicate the position of the uncovering or pickup and the next one will indicate the position of deposition.

The invention is described below in connection with the drawing, illustrating a preferred version, to which the invention however is not confined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I shows a cross section through the mechanical parts of a pattern tickler machine attached to a flat hosiery knitting machine.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a preferred version of a complete sample tickler machine according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the program control device for the pattern tickler machine illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show schematically an electromagnetichydraulic regulating unit and a tickler-needle-postioning indicator, both of which are used in the program control device according to FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The pattern tickler machine according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. I and 2 only in connection with the parts of a flat hosiery knitting machine which are necessary for the purpose of understanding the invention the vertical stitching needles 1 of this flat hosiery knitting machine are attached in a stitching needle bar 3. The vertical movement of the stitching needle bar 3 can take place in the known manner by means of swing-arms, and the like.

In FIG. 1, there are the slough-off plates or notched bars 5, which are housed in a horizontally and vertically movable slough-off plate bar 7. The hosiery knitting and distributor plates 9, which can be moved back and forth in a plate bed 11 is attached to the traverse or cotter 13, which extends over the entire length of the hosiery knitting machine and which is positioned in vertical frame walls 15 (FIG. 2). All of these lastmentioned parts are only indicated here and they are illustrated without their known, curve-disk-controlled drive units, because they are not involved in the covering or transferring process to which the invention relates.

The pattern tickler machine contains a tickler needle holder 17, which carries the perpendicularly downward protruding tickler needle 19, which can be placed against the stitching needles in the known manner and by means of which the loop, which is on one selected stitching needle, can be lifted off the stitching needle transferred to one of the neighboring stitching needles. This covering or a transferring of meshes from one needle to a neighboring needle is used in a similar manner in connection with narrowing or enlarging, when a piece of goods is to be gradually made narrower or wider. In contrast to the narrowing or widening operation, it may be desired in making patterns or symbols in pieces of goods, to transfer very specific loops from one stitching needle to another one, by means of a single or only a few tickler needles in selected mesh rows without producing a genuine narrowing or widening.

The tickler needle holder is attached to the tickler rod 67 and can be moved in the longitudinal direction with the rod. In order to make sure that it will not collide with the narrowing ticklers, which are attached to tickler rods 21 and 23, when a piece of goods is reduced to a very narrow width, it can be swung out by turning rod 67.

The tickler rods 21, 23 which extend over the entire length of the machine, are positioned in tickler rail bearings 25 and can be shifted in the longitudinal direction in the tickler rail bearings 25. The tickler rail bearings 25 are attached at their upper end to the tickler rail bearing shaft 27, which is rotatably positioned in bearing arms 29 but which cannot be shifted in the axial direction when in this bearing. Bearing arms 29 likewise cannot be moved in the axial direction but are attached to a shaft 31, which is rotatably positioned in the frame walls, and can be swung around the axis of this shaft 31. As a result of the swinging motion of the bearing arms 29, the tickler rail bearing shaft 27 is moved up and down, together with the tickler rail bearings 25, the tickler rails 21 and 23, the tickler needle holder 17, and the tickler needle 19; as a result of this action, the tickler needle 19 is introduced in a known manner into the mesh loop, suspended on the corresponding stitching needle 1, and this mesh loop is then lifted oh the stitching needle. This swing motion is controlled by two supports 33 which are pivoted at the ends of the tickler rail bearing shaft 27, and which are pivoted underneath, by means of bolts 35 on tickler machine levers 37, which in turn are swingably attached to the bolts 39 that are fastened to the lateral frame walls I5 (FIG. 2), and each of which bear one roller bolt 41, wherein each roller 43 is rotatably positioned. The rollers 43, with the weight of the tickler machine levers 37 and the parts connected with them, rest on one of two disks 47, 49, which are fastened next to each other on an eccentric shaft 45, of which disk 47 has a circular circumference and disk 49 has a curve-shaped circumference.

In the operating position the rollers 43 glide on disk 49 so that the tickler needle 19 is moved up and down, that is on and ch, in the rhythm determined by the curve-shaped circumference of this disk. If tickler needle 19 is brought into the outof-operation position, then the eccentric shaft 45 is moved from the position illustrated in FIG. 2 toward the right until the rollers 43 glide on disks 47 with circular circumference and until the tickler needle 19 is constantly held in its out-ofoperation maximum or top position.

On eccentric shaft 45 there is disk 51 with a curve-shaped circumference on which glides a roller 53 that is rotatably positioned on a bolt 57 which is fastened to a two-arm lever 55. The lever 55 is pivoted at 59. its free arm acts on its free end 61 upon a microswitch 63 in such a way that the latter will always give off an electrical impulse over a conduit 65, such as a circuit or water when the roller 53 has the greatest radial distance from the axis of the eccentric shaft 45. The operation of such switches is known and therefore need not be explained in detail here. Disk 51 can either always act upon switch 63 or only when the rollers glide on the disks 49. In each case, an additional switch must be connected in ahead. This switch is controlled by the automatic devices of the machine and gives the command cover the pattern." Otherwise, each reduction covering or overlap would also simultaneously be accompanied by a pattern covering.

Disk 51, may have the kind of circumference in which a first electrical impulse will always appear as soon as the tickler needle has moved out of the area of the remaining mesh formation elements when the tickler machine moves up, so that when a new position is being approached or picked up, a second impulse initiates the covering or transfer.

In accordance with this invention, the tickler rod 67, which protrudes laterally beyond the one frame wall 15, is fastened at its end via an articulated connection 71, which permits the swinging of the tickler rod 67 when the tickler rail bearing shaft 27 is swung around to the piston rod 73 of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder piston arrangement 75 supported by a plate 77. Because the hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder piston arrangements are known and because they are equivalent in terms of their operation, reference in the following shall be only to a hydraulic cylinder piston arrangement.

The cylinder piston arrangement 75 is double action, that is, it has on both sides of the piston, indicated in the broken line by the reference symbol 79, one pressure input, so that the piston rod 73 can, according to program, be moved to the right or to the left to a desired distance. The movement of the piston is controlled by an electromagnetichydraulic regulating unit, for example, a servo valve 81, which is connected in ahead of the cylinder piston arrangement. The servo valve 81 is controlled via a line or wire 83 from a switchboard 85 by means of electrical signals, which will be described in greater detail below.

The servo valve 81 is furthermore connected via a customary pressure and return conduit 87, 89 with a pump unit 91 which is driven by a three-phase motor 93. An electrical cable 97 is run to switchboard 85 from a tickler-needle-position indicator 95. The position indicator is firmly connected with the piston rod 73 by means of a connection 99 and through a line or wire 12] (FIG. 3) that is in cable 97. The position indicator 95 in each instance gives an actual position signal which is proportional to the accurate position of the piston rod 73 and thus to the position of tickler needle I9. The conduit or wire III is the feeder line.

in the switchboard 85, indicated in FIG. 3 with the broken line, there is located a program control device by means of which piston 73 of the cylinder piston arrangement 75. Thus tickler rod 67 and tickler needle 19 are moved into the position specified by the program prior to the beginning of a covering or transfer cycle.

The program control device essential contains the crossbar distributor 101 and a step-by-step switching system 103. With the help of a resistance decade 105, another resistance value is connected in advance of each perpendicular rail of the crossbar distributor 101, whereby every possible position of the tickler needle has associated with it a certain resistance value and whereby the smallest resistance unit corresponds to one stitching needle subdivision. On the crossbar distributor the program is so plugged in, that every horizontal row of the crossbar distributor is connected via a preselected resistance with the stabilized DC source 107.

For scanning the crossbar distributor 101, we have the stepby-step switching system 103 which reveals a contact, connected with the one input of a sum-and-difference amplifier 109; in the beginning, this contact is connected with the first and the, step by step, with the second, third, etc., line of the crossbar distributor. The step-by-step impulses are fed through the step-by'step switching system, for example, from the microswitch 63 through the conduit or wire 65. If the microswitch 63 generates an impulse always only when one covering or transfer cycle has been completed and the tickler needle 17 has once again been returned into itstop position, then the step-by-step switching system is alwaysfurther adjusted by a step only after the completion of one transfer cycle, so that the next positioning may begin. However, the circumference of disk 51 also may be so designed that the microswitch 63 will give ofi' a second impulse for the transfer after the positioning has been accomplished.

The other input of the sum-and-difference amplifier 109 is connected via wire 121 with the output of the position indicator 95. The position indicator gives off an actual position signal, for example, a voltage signal analogous to the position of the tickler needle. This voltage signal is compared by means of the sum-and-difference amplifier 109 with that voltage signal which is supplied to the sum-and-difference amplifier by the movable contact of the step-by-step switching system from the crossbar distributor 101. As hereinbefore stated every horizontal line of the crossbar distributor has assigned to it a certain resistance value according to the program and that every resistance value corresponds to a certain position of the tickler needle. Therefore, reference shall be made to the voltage signal as a required position signal This is the voltage signal which has been scanned by means of the step-by-step switching system and which has been fed into the sum-and-difference amplifier 109 and which, in each instance, is analogous to the desired position of the tickler needle. 1f the required position signal and the actual position signal differ from each other, then there appears on the output of the sumand-difference amplifier the amplified difference signal which is fed to the eIectromagnetic-hydraulic servo valve 81 via a conduit or wire 83 and which alters the pressure on the one or the other side of the piston of the cylinder piston arrangement 75 until the difference between the required position signal and the actual position signal has disappeared. At that moment, tickler needle has assumed the desired position, determined by the crossbar distributor 101. This device consists of position indicator 95, sum-and-difference amplifier 109, servo valve 81, and cylinder piston arrangement 75. Thus it basically represents a regulating circuit by means of which the position of tickler needle 17 at certain points in time, that is, at the rate or pace of the step-by-step switching system 103, is compared with a position given in advance by the crossbar distributor 101, whereupon the piston of the cylinder piston arrangement 75 is shifted in the correct direction until the tickler needle assumes the position desired for the following covering or transfer cycle.

For tickler-needle-position indicator there can be used the device illustrated in FIG. 5 and consisting of a customary measurement value pickup or receiver. The measurement value receiver contains an oscillator 113 which generates the exciter voltage, that is carrier frequency, in the primary coil of a differential transformer 115 and which is powered with DC. The regulating magnitude, that is, the position of the piston of the cylinder piston arrangement, acts through the mechanical coupling between the piston rod 73 and the position indicator 95 upon an iron core 117, through which the measurement value is transferred to the secondary coil of the differential transformer with a demodulator 119 being connected in after the secondary coil. From the output 121 of the demodulator there is taken a DC signal which is analogous to the position measured.

A servo valve 81, which can be used here, for example, is illustrated in FIG. 4. Sum-and-difference voltage, that is circuit bias, amplified by the sum-and-difference amplifier 109, is fed into the input of the servo valve, that is, to the two ends of a coil 123. Depending upon the sign of the difference, an adjusting member 125, which is located in the first stage of the servo valve, is thus swung to the right or to the left. As a result, a pressure increase in brought about in one of the two symmetrically arranged conduits 127 and 129. This pressure increase is transmitted to the corresponding side of a piston arrangement 131 via the second stage of the servo valve which acts as amplifier, so that this piston arrangement will move against the force of springs 133 in one or another direction. The cylinder 135 which surrounds the piston arrangement 131, has an input or entrance to which is connected the hydraulic pump unit 91 and two outputs or exits 137 and 139 which are connected with each of the two inputs of the cylinder piston arrangement 75. Thereby, the piston rod 73 is moved to the right or to the left depending upon whether output 137 or output 139 reveals increased pressure. The movement of piston arrangement 131 and of piston rod 73 ends the moment the difference between the actual position signal and the required position signal has become zero, thatis, the moment the desired position has been reached because at that moment the adjusting or regulating member once again assumes the normal position and the hydraulic system is once again in the completely symmetrical balanced state.

To the extent that it has been described so far, the pattern tickler machine involved here operates as follows:

Prior to the start of the operation of the flat hosiery knitting machine, a program is plugged in by means of crossbar distributor 101. The program stored in the horizontal lines of the crossbar distributor indicates at which successive positions the mesh loop or transfer is to take place. When a transfer or covering cycle has been completed, an impulse is given off via microswitch 63 \and this impulse is fed to step-by-step switching system 103 which causes the next line of the crossbar distributor to be scanned and a new position is accordingly approached or picked up with the tickler needle. After adjustment of the desired position, the covering or transfer process can be performed, as in the past, mechanically, by cam control or the like. In this case, the action of the regulating circuit, described with the help of FIG. 3, is interrupted by a switch so that the shift of the tickler needle, for the purpose of covering or transferring, is not hindered.

it is however possible to also control the sideways shift of the tickler needle during transfer by means of the device described. For this purpose it is necessary to provide for each complete positioning and transfer cycle, two horizontal rows on the crossbar distributor. The first one of these rows corresponds to the position of that stitching needle from which the loop is to be taken ofi", while the second one corresponds to the position of that stitching needle upon which the covered or transferred loop is to be deposited.

Furthermore, in controlling a complete positioning and covering or transfer cycle with the help of the device according to the invention, it is necessary to provide a step impulse transmitter, which generates a step impulse for the step-bystep switching system both when the positioning begins and when the covering or transferring begins. Within each complete cycle, two step impulses, must be generated so that correspondingly two lines of the crossbar distributor can be scanned.

The previously described microswitch 63 is suitable as a step impulse generator. However, the cam disk which activates this switch must then be so designed that the microswitch 63 will be activated at the correct rate or pace, that is, twice per revolution.

With the help of the pattern tickler machine according to the invention it is readily possible to approach or pickup positions within a space of about 100 mm. within the initially mentioned time span of 0.3 second. if it is necessary to transfer in various positions in each case by a different position of needle subdivisions, then it is practicable to store the transfer program also in the crossbar distributor.

The invention is not confined to the preferred example described here. In particular, it is possible to use other corresponding devices for the various structural elements, for example, the position indicator or transmitter, the servo valve, the crossbar distributor, etc. If identical patterns or symbols are to be made in various positions then two or more tickler needles can also be attached to the tickler rod 67, whereby only the positions of one tickler needle must be programmed because the other tickler needles then take effect at a constant tickler needle interval from this tickler needle.

The'device described was tested, using a tickler-needleposition indicator or transmitter 95, in the design described with FIG. 5. The output voltage of this transmitter is 0.6 v./cm. With a needle subdivision of, for example, 2 mm., the output voltage change of the position indicator is then 0.12 v. per needle. In fact the entire working path of the cylinder piston arrangement 75 (100 mm.) is subdivided into 9,999 parts by the resistance decade which is connected ahead of the crossbar distributor; by means of these parts, every point can be programmed on the crossbar distributor.

What is claimed:

1. A pattern tickler apparatus for straight bar knitting machines having at least one tickler needle supported by a pattern tickler rod, comprising, in combination, a cylinder piston means mechanically coupled to said tickler rod; a tickler-rod-position-indicator means producing tickler-needle-actual-position signals; a programmed control device sequentially producing tickler-needle-required-position signals according to a program; and a regulating means coupled to said cylinder piston means and receiving said required position signals and said actual position signals for feeding to said cylinder piston means regulating signals which sequentially causes a movement of said tickler needle to the required positions according to said program.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a hydraulic cylinder piston arrangement.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a pneumatic cylinder piston arrangement.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a double-action cylinder piston arrangement.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said regulat ing means includes a sum-and-difference amplifier having inputs fed to said actual position signals and said required position signals, and an electrically controlled servo valve coupled between the output of said amplifier and said cylinder piston means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said programmed control device includes a crossbar distributor having a program for the positions of said tickler needle which is scannable for 'the generation of the required position signals at the rate of the positioning and transferring steps.

7. An apparatus according to claim I wherein said programmed control device includes a crossbar distributor having a program for the positions of said tickler needle which is scannable for the generation of the required position signals at the rate of the transferring steps.

8. An apparatus accor mg to claim 6 including a switch, a

step-by-step switching system for the line-by-line scanning of said distributor whereby the switching impulses for the stepby-step switching system are derived from said switch which indicates the end of a complete positioning and transferring cycle.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6 including a switch a step-by-step switching system for the line-by-line scanning of said crossbar distributor whereby the switching impulses for the step-by-step switching system are derived from said switch which indicates the end of a complete transferring cycle.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of tickler needles are attached to said tickler rod at preselected intervals. 

1. A pattern tickler apparatus for straight bar knitting machines having at least one tickler needle supported by a pattern tickler rod, comprising, in combination, a cylinder piston means mechanically coupled to said tickler rod; a ticklerrod-position-indicator means producing tickler-needle-actualposition signals; a programmed control device sequentially producing tickler-needle-required-position signals according to a program; and a regulating means coupled to said cylinder piston means and receiving said required position signals and said actual position signals for feeding to said cylinder piston means regulating signals which sequentially causes a movement of said tickler needle to the required positions according to said program.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a hydraulic cylinder piston arrangement.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a pneumatic cylinder piston arrangement.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder piston means is a double-action cylinder piston arrangement.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said regulating means includes a sum-and-difference amplifier having inputs fed to said actual position signals and said required position signals, and an electrically controlled servo valve coupled between the output of said amplifier and said cylinder piston means.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said programmed control device includes a crossbar distributor having a program for the positions of said tickler needle which is scannable for the generation of the required position signals at the rate of the positioning and transferring steps.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said programmed control device includes a crossbar distributor having a program for the positions of said tickler needle which is scannable for the generation of the required position signals at the rate of the transferring steps.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 6 including a switch, a step-by-step switching system for the line-by-line scanning of said crossbar distributor whereby the switching impulses for the step-by-step switching system are derived from said switch which indicates the end of a complete positioning and transferring cycle.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 6 including a switch a step-by-step switching system for the line-by-line scanning of said crossbar distributor whereby the switching impulses for the step-by-step switching system are derived from said switch which indicates the end of a complete transferring cycle.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of tickler needles are attached to said tickler rod at preselected intervals. 